


a drop in the cup

by Mickle



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, M/M, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 18:16:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6968539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mickle/pseuds/Mickle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Love, whether it's friendship or more, is like a cup. It fills up drop by drop, until one last drop and the cup is full. The liquid hangs there almost above the rim, hangs there on surface tension alone and you know that one more drop and it will spill over.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>- Laurell K. Hamilton</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	a drop in the cup

"Large vanilla shake, Kuroko!" Kagami bellows for the third time, flourishing the glass around over his head in hopes of persuading the intended customer to just get his drink already.

Kuroko, however, is already standing right in front of him. He eyes the glass waving to and fro with annoyance, wishing he had the height to just steal the milkshake from this impressively unobservant man. Over the bustling noise of the packed little shop, it is unsurprising that Kuroko remains unheard as he tries to retrieve his drink. Yes, he possesses a spectacularly low presence, but Kuroko is literally standing right in front of the counter, under Kagami's nose. Frankly, he really expected better. 

With a grumble and a curse, Kagami gives it up as a lost cause and leaves the glass on the counter, receipt wedged under it as a coaster. He turns back to his buzzing machines to make the next order, wholly unaware of Kuroko still. 

Sighing and taking up the abandoned glass, Kuroko seamlessly works his way through the crowd in search of an empty station. The corners of his mouth quirk up in slight amusement as he hears Kagami's loud bewilderment over the vanished milkshake behind him. Kagami really is spectacularly oblivious to his surroundings, and his blustering, tough guy demeanor leaves much to be desired. 

The café bustles with activity, room heavy with the aromas of coffee beans and tea leaves, a subtle undercurrent of sugar and sweet cream lining it all. Kuroko breathes it in, lulled by the comforting whirls and hums of espresso machines, grumbling barista aside, as he settles into an empty table by the window. His body relaxes into the cushioned seat greedily, weary from long meetings and the management of those whom can only be called immature children. 

Even so, there is still work to be done. Kuroko flips open his file and takes a fortifying sip of the milkshake he procured. 

A pause.

Another short sip.

An impeccably smooth blend of ice cream and milk coats his tongue with the complex flavors of vanilla beans. Never before has he had the pleasure of a milkshake that so deliciously balances vanilla's creamy sweetness with its more subtle dark, woody flavor. 

Reconsidering, Kuroko's eyes flick to the counter where three employees knock into one another clumsily but with camaraderie as they move to and from their stations. The narrow work space is only made that much smaller by the size of the red-haired barista. He is tall and broad, but despite his physique and the delicate instruments that surround him, he moves behind the counter with a comfortable ease. 

A bark of rough Japanese escapes the barista's mouth and startles Kuroko into returning his gaze to the file he is holding. The pronunciation is a little off, and he fumbles his polite endings when the manager berates him for the noise (even whilst being louder than anyone else). 

Hm. American returnee, indeed.

Kagami reaches above him for another mug from the shelf, and Kuroko follows the line of his broad arms and shoulders, admiring the strength and athleticism those muscles suggest. Kuroko can imagine Aomine-kun clambering for the chance to challenge the barista himself and can't help but wonder how that match would go. Their athletic body types are similar, but while Aomine is all sleek muscle and compelling grace, Kagami looks bulkier and fiercely powerful. 

Kuroko wonders what it would feel like to test that strength.

He chides himself silently for the notion and returns dutifully to his papers. His interest flits between the file and the barista, and he gives up all pageantry when the shattering of a mug slices through the low-level hum of patron chatter. There's a beat of silence as everyone eyes the startled redhead accusingly. Kuroko instead eyes the saucer that the customer, face red and furious, is still holding in his hands.

An eruption goes off. 

"You lumbering oaf! Where the hell do you get off throwing cups at me!?" Insults and filth spill from the customer's mouth, as he seizes forward without regard to the pitiful _cruunnch_ of ceramic beneath his feet.

"The hell I threw that at you! You _dropped_ it!" The other workers are already rushing in to pull the barista back from the counter, straining desperately against his size.

"The fuck you say to me, punk!?" The customer raises his arm, ready to hurl the saucer.

Only to find the saucer sufficiently missing.

"You are causing a disturbance. Regardless of who dropped the cup, it was an accident and does not warrant this sort of behavior. Please apologize," Kuroko states, low and firm. Even his quiet voice projects in the shop's stillness. He stands at the customer's side, composed despite the circumstances, holding the saucer.

The customer stares down at Kuroko with baffled rage for only a moment before he swings down at Kuroko's upturned face. Reading him easily, Kuroko sidesteps the strike and watches disinterestedly as the momentum drags the customer crashing down into the splintered puddle of coffee. 

"All right, that's enough!" The manager hauls the customer up by the shirt and drags him towards the door. "Like hell you're coming into _my_ store and causing trouble! Get the hell out, moron!" 

One of the other workers has released Kagami and comes around with a mop and broom to clean the spill, chuckling, "Of course that guy wasn't a match for all of our hotheaded guys... Ah, I've got it! Hyuuga, let's start serving our _matcha_ in matching cups!" 

"I'M GOING TO THROW YOU OUT NEXT, IZUKI!" Hyuuga thunders from the doorway, dusting his hands of the intruder. 

Izuki blithely ignores the threat as he scribbles away in a notebook.

"Excuse me, but would you like this back?" Kuroko offers, holding out the stolen saucer. 

"Yeah, thanks for your help, by the way. It's a good thing you didn't get hurt. That was a good dodge there!" Izuki takes the saucer and passes it over the counter. "Kagami, make him something on the house."

"That is unnecessary, but thank you."

"Nonsense! You saved us back there. What do you like? Our tea is _tea_ riffic! You won't have to pay a fee to enjoy our cof _fee_! What about sweets? Kagami can cook you some _cook_ ies in no time flat!" Izuki excitedly plows over both Hyuuga and Kagami's complaints of how cookies are _baked_ , what the hell.

"Just a vanilla milkshake please," Kuroko finally agrees, if only to put an end to the torrent of bad puns.

Izuki, however, just looks pleased. "You heard the man, Kagami! Shake that shake!" He positively whistles as he skips back to the cash register to tend to a new customer. Hyuuga, on the other hand, looks positively murderous. Behind the counter, Kagami shrinks away to the freezer before Hyuuga can refocus his ire. Kuroko observes them quietly from the side, storing away the information for later consideration.

"Here," Kagami gruffly thrusts the glass in his direction, stubbornly avoiding eye contact. Kuroko blinks owlishly at him for a moment before taking the glass with gratitude. The barista grumbles something and turns away with a huff. Sipping his milkshake slowly, Kuroko tilts his head at Kagami's back before turning back to his table with a small smile. For all his size and temper, it seems Kagami really is just a lot of harmless blustering. 

Good thing too. He really does make a delicious milkshake.

_______________

"Run that by me again, Kuroko," Akashi smiles gently, but the glint in his eye betrays his lack of amusement. 

Kuroko retains his composure, unafraid even as Akashi picks up one of his knives and begins polishing it. It is late at night, and he has little patience for Akashi's theatrics. All he wants to do is give his report and go home to sleep. Unfortunately, the day has been going too well thus far, and Akashi is not that kind.

"I do not believe Kagami Taiga is any threat to us. If you still believe him to be, I'll continue to observe him. Perhaps my opinion will change," Kuroko compromises.

"I didn't task you with observing him. I tasked you with assassinating him, or are you no longer capable of your role?" The lilt in his voice is all condescending menace, even if the tilt of Akashi's head is all diplomatic courtesy.

"The file stated that Kagami-san returned to Japan from America about half a year ago. It seems unlikely that he's already involved with anyone who could be a threat to us."

"His file also states that he has connections to Alexandra Garcia, who you know very well was a menace to our predecessors. They apparently share something like a student-teacher relationship. There's no reason to believe that Kagami Taiga doesn't take after her." Akashi puts the knife down for a moment and reaches into one of his drawers for a thick binder. He opens it to a random page and pushes it towards Kuroko to see.

Kuroko doesn't need to look at it to know it contains an extensive list of destroyed or stolen assets on some such-and-such date, including locations, people, vehicles, and weapons. Every page in the binder contains a similar list; it seems Garcia never took a day off back then. She only stopped giving their company hell when Nijimura took control and toned down their more illegal activities. 

"There's also a suggestion he may be affiliated with the Yosen clan. He broke off all relation to Himuro Tatsuya, another student of Garcia's, while in America, but the possibility of them renewing their association is very real."

"Akashi-kun, we are hours away from Akita, and Murasakibara-kun would have informed you if Kagami-san joined their ranks. Kagami-san works in a quiet café in the middle of town. He eats his weight in burgers after work and then plays basketball for a few hours. He buys groceries and then goes home, where he cooks, watches television, and then sleeps. Kagami-san lives a very simple life." Kuroko had spent a very peaceful afternoon following Kagami, the most peaceful day he's had in a while, truth be told, even with the incident with the angry customer. 

Akashi very nearly scowls at him; Kuroko sees the twitch of his mouth.

"Very well. We will leave him alone for the time being, but I will be keeping a close eye on him," Akashi states reasonably enough as he stows the knife back in its case. The 'and you' is quite clearly tacked on in the loud silence. It is punctuated with the _snap_ of the closing case. Kuroko bows politely and takes his leave.

_______________

Kuroko returns to the café the next day, in spite of Akashi's threats-not-threats. He quietly admires Kagami at work as he waits for his order to be completed. Even if he doesn't seem to be dangerous, his physique certainly suggests that Garcia has trained him to take up her mantle. 

"Large vanilla shake, Kuroko!" Kagami shouts, even louder than he had yesterday. "You better show up for it today, you brat, or I'm dumping it straight in the trash!" That sends a little shiver through Kuroko; it is a little flattering to be remembered for once.

"That would be a deplorable waste of a vanilla milkshake, Kagami-san," Kuroko chides, even as he steals the drink out of Kagami's hands. The shop should be quiet enough today for him to catch Kagami's attention.

"ACK! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU COME FROM!" Kagami visibly jumps away from the counter as he stares at Kuroko with horror. It takes him a moment of staring at the milkshake Kuroko is holding for him to process that he, himself, is no longer holding anything. "Oi, you can't just take that out of peoples' hands!"

"Why is that, Kagami-san? It is my order. I am Kuroko," Kuroko sips his milkshake without a hint of remorse.

"Take it normally, idiot!" Kagami yells. "And sheesh, stop calling me so formally. Kagami-san's my freaking dad. How do you know my name anyway!? That's creepy!" He narrows his eyes at Kuroko before it dawns on him. "Oh, you're the one from yesterday..." Kagami looks a bit sheepish now, not least because Hyuuga is throwing him dirty looks from the register.

"Kagami-kun then. It's a pleasure to formally meet your acquaintance," Kuroko offers a small smile.

"Ughhh you're weird," Kagami groans and turns away to get back to work. 

"Thank you for the milkshake, Kagami-kun. It is as delicious as it was yesterday." 

Kagami responds with a strangled, embarrassed grunt, but doesn't turn around. His ears, however, turn slightly pink. It clashes horribly with his red hair. Kuroko smiles.

_______________

The man weighs twice as much as Kuroko, but that only means he crumples to the ground twice as hard. Kuroko kneels by the body, doing a cursory search for the keys, before continuing on. Disappearing easily into the shadows, he slips through this foreign territory as well as if he were navigating his own home. Heavy steps and a moving light - flashlight?- bounce off the corridor walls. Kuroko crouches at the corner, waiting, analyzing the echoes and movements, before snapping into motion.

Two shots easily take them out. Kuroko sweeps by them, intent on his mission. 

A flicker of dark red catches his eye, and his heart lurches into his throat. Snatching up the discarded light, he sweeps it anxiously over the bodies.

Neither of them are Kagami. It was only the flash of red pooling under their heads.

Taking a deep breath and willing his heartbeat to return to normal, Kuroko turns the flashlight off and continues on. His heart pounds regardless, and a voice in his head whispers treacherously, "What if that had been him?"

_______________ 

"You've been coming in here every damned day, and all you order is this stupid milkshake! Why don't you ever order any food!? Eat something! You're a twig!" Kagami growls at him, holding the milkshake up and out of reach.

Kuroko stares at him blankly, unimpressed, "I am of average size for a Japanese man. Kagami-kun is just needlessly large." 

"What's with the needlessly!? I'm just saying you should eat more! Seriously, does no one feed you?" Kuroko takes the opportunity to jab him in the side, rescuing the drink from Kagami's clutches when he doubles over in pain. 

Kagami is as loud and brutish and gloriously alive as usual. Despite himself, Kuroko is vastly relieved.

"Kagami-kun is rude. I am quite capable of feeding myself, or is Kagami-kun offering?" Which sets off a round of choked, sputtered denials, all of which Kuroko watches with mirth dancing in his eyes. 

"Why do I even talk to an asshole like you? You're such a little shit," Kagami grabs Kuroko's head and shakes him for good measure before shoving him away.

The next time Kuroko comes into the café, Kagami shoves the milkshake and a plated burger at him with an order to, "Just eat it, you damned twig!" He then storms away through the doors to the backroom before Kuroko can even attempt to protest.

Well, there isn't any point in letting food go to waste. Kuroko has worked in this business long enough to know what a luxury a warm meal is.

When he goes up to Izuki later to attempt to pay for the meal, Izuki refuses to take his money and instead informs him that Kagami designed and cooked the burger himself. There's a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he discloses that the burger is not a menu item. 

Kuroko refuses to acknowledge the heat gathering in his cheeks at this information.

_______________ 

Probably an hour has passed since the designated meeting time. It had taken longer for his captors to leave him alone than he had thought. Aomine is probably worried that he hasn't returned yet. 

While the information he gathered is useful, he hardly thinks it is worth this suffering. His wrist sears with pain as he works through his binds. Kuroko is mildly grateful for the chilliness of this nondescript cellar, as it has done a marvelous job of freezing his other injuries into silence. Kuroko tries not to contemplate how battered his body actually is. Midorima will surely confine him to bed rest for an eternity.

On top of that, two days have passed since Kuroko has had the privilege of food. The memory of Kagami's burger taunts him, and Kuroko laments that he did not savor the experience properly. He hadn't even had the chance to properly thank Kagami for the meal before Akashi had assigned him this task. He hopes Kagami will forgive him for the rudeness, if he has even noticed Kuroko's absence.

The thought that he may not have leaves Kuroko colder than the room does.

Of course, it is ridiculous to wish for such things. They are acquaintances at best, and it is greedy and dangerous and impossible to want more. As it is, Kuroko is thankful that Akashi hasn't decided to end Kagami himself. Kuroko knows this. 

Knowing this, however, does nothing to chase away the recollection of Kagami's hand on his head, in his hair, and the warm glow it left behind. 

_______________

It takes a little less than a week for Kuroko and his colleagues to dismantle the cartel that had 'captured' him and questioned Teikou's authority. 

Afterwards, Midorima stitches Kuroko up and very nearly ties him to his bed to keep him from moving. Takao can't be there to watch him all the time, after all. Another two weeks pass before Midorima deems a day lucky enough to release him, lucky item and all.

All told, a month anxiously slips away before Kuroko finds himself in front of the café again, but he can't quite make himself go in. He wants to see Kagami-kun, talk with him, laugh with him again. But a month is a long time to forget someone forgettable. To Kagami, he could have been nothing else but another customer. 

Another person jostles him in their rush to enter the café, not even noticing that they bumped into someone. When the door opens, the word 'Teikou' filters out. The slamming of the door cuts off anything more, but Kuroko's attention is caught. 

"Holy hell, they mean business. That's like the seventh body turned up this week." 

"At least it's only seven! At least twelve people have gone missing in the last month. But Teikou can't have got them all, right? There's a chance the others will still turn up alive."

Kuroko grimly thinks that twelve isn't anywhere _near_ the final body count, but they'll learn that in time. He skirts around the edge of the group of customers near the entrance and seats himself at his usual table. There's no sign of Kagami behind the counter, so there isn't much of a point in placing his order right now anyway. He opens his book and reads, even as he listens in on the conversation taking place a few tables away.

"I don't even get why they're doing this. This city's pretty peaceful. Where does Teikou get off just cutting up people and dumping their bodies?"

"Teikou's kind of doing us a favor though? Everyone who's turned up was involved in some pretty sick stuff, the police said. Human trafficking and all that. For all we know, the other missing people were _their_ fault, and Teikou just found them out. They're more efficient than the police at least."

To be fair, Teikou has the advantage of an unscrupulous mole in the police force, Kuroko thinks wryly. While the police strangles itself in red tape, Aomine feeds their information straight to Akashi. It is a very tidy system that keeps Teikou well ahead of its competition.

"Where the hell have you been!?" 

A milkshake slams down on the table in front of Kuroko. He lifts his head to meet the glower of one Kagami Taiga. His heart decidedly does not _flutter_ at being not only remembered, but missed. 

Kagami pulls out the chair across from him and collapses into it with a grumble. "It's been a whole month since we saw you. With all the missing reports going on right now, we thought Teikou had gotten you too!" 

Well, honestly, Kuroko supposes that isn't far from the truth. 

"Does Kagami-kun think I would kidnap people and sell them into slavery? I was unaware Kagami-kun had such a low opinion of me," Kuroko deadpans.

"W-What!? Of course not! Why the hell would I think that!?" Kagami looks absolutely offended, horrified at the very notion. It actually takes quite a lot of effort for Kuroko to not laugh at him.

"All the people who have been killed by Teikou have been found to be part of a gang who dabbles in such illegal activities, among other unsavory things. That you think Teikou, and not the other group, took me says much about what you think of my character," Kuroko blandly explains.

Kagami groans, burying his head into his arms on the table, ears bright pink, "Hell no, of course not. It's just that Teikou's been in the news so much lately. And Riko and Hyuuga keep telling me how easily they kill people and just disappear. All of us were worried."

"I apologize for causing you distress. I was simply away for business, and it took longer than I thought it would. If it makes you feel any better, you can trust that I will not be killed so easily," Kuroko smiles slightly, patting Kagami on the head for assurance.

"That doesn't make me feel better at all, you damned twig," Kagami grumbles at him. "Just drink your milkshake. Leave me alone." He burrows deeper into his arms for hiding.

"Kagami isn't being honest with you, Kuroko-kun," Izuki laughs as he places a croissant in front of Kuroko. "For the first week, he thought you were mad at him. He was so paranoid that he wanted to parachute off a parapet without the parachute, but I'm just paraphrasing!"

"Ah. Even if I were mad at you, please don't jump off a cliff, Kagami-kun. I would be very sad."

"I never said anything like that!" Kagami roars, throwing a balled up napkin at Izuki. "Don't put words in my mouth for the sake of your stupid puns!" 

"By the way, the burger you gave me was very good. I could never be mad at someone who treats me so well. Thank you for taking care of me, Kagami-kun," Kuroko says innocently enough, just for the pleasure of watching Kagami's face heat up again as he flails around.

Izuki laughs and gives a short wave as heads back to the counter, "That croissant is from the batch Kagami just baked. Enjoy that too." Kagami mutters about stupid, meddling co-workers as he sags into his chair in surrender.

The silence between them is comfortable, exchanging half-hearted jabs and small updates about what they have been up to for the past month. They even exchange numbers so that Kuroko "can't just disappear for a whole fucking month" again. The needless bluster endears Kagami to Kuroko even more.

Still, Kagami seems distracted. The group of customers are still talking about Teikou a couple tables over, and Kagami's interest is clearly piqued.

"Kagami-kun, are you worried about Teikou being in this area?" Kuroko asks as he nibbles at half of his croissant. He slides the plate with the remaining half across to Kagami.

"No, not really. Maybe a little. I don't know..." Kagami agitatedly runs a hand through his hair. His leg thumps with impatience under the table as he thinks. "I told you I grew up in LA, right? It was always kind of chaotic there, and some sort of gang violence always seemed to be going on around the corner. Alex warned me that there was a pretty big group active in this area too, before I moved, but it's been so quiet that I guess I just didn't expect it, you know?"

"Yes, Teikou is active in this area, but it is different than it is in LA. They are not the violent sort." 

Kagami slams a fist on the table, cutting him off. "Seven bodies, and so many more people are still missing, Kuroko! How can you even say they're not violent!?"

Kuroko sips his milkshake, contemplating his next words carefully. "I've lived in this city my whole life, Kagami-kun. Whenever Teikou surfaces, it is because something is threatening the livelihood of the people in the city. They do not act without reason."

"That's only as far as _you_ know. Yeah, Teikou's sending a message when dead bodies just pop up out of nowhere, but who knows what they get up to otherwise. Sure, _these_ people that were found were absolute scum, but how many other people did Teikou off that we don't know about?" Kagami scoffs. Kuroko desperately wants to tell him that no one is killed that shouldn't be. They vet every potential target, and Kuroko himself is exceedingly thorough. It is the reason why Kagami-kun is still alive.

"Before Teikou became the ruling underground force, this city was much more chaotic. While Teikou is imperfect, we have been able to live peacefully here because of their work. This city seems to be Teikou's home, and Teikou protects its own. That is what I believe."

"Damn you're idealistic. I just can't imagine what sort of person could actually just kill someone else in cold blood. A person like that must be heartless," Kagami tears into his half of the croissant viciously, as if to emphasize his point. Kuroko tries not to let the comment sting. 

"Is it so different from what the police do? When they're faced with a criminal who is threatening to harm those around him, the police will shoot him to keep the general public safe. From what I've seen, Teikou does something similar to help the greater good. I think what does make them dangerous is that they are essentially vigilantes operating outside the law." 

Kagami pauses to consider this before conceding the point, "Yeah, I guess, but it's just so sketchy. It's not just self-defense if they're going out and hunting people down. If they want to help people so badly, they should go join the police or something. I just don't buy it. People like that are dangerous and shouldn't be trusted." Kuroko wonders just how much of Garcia-san's past does Kagami-kun know, because she was certainly quite the vigilante back then. After all, Kagami still seems to hold Garcia in high regard.

"That the police weren't able to catch these human traffickers before Teikou did proves that the police are not as competent as we would like to believe. Until Teikou proves otherwise, I will believe that they are working for the greater good and can be trusted with the safety of this city."

Kagami frowns deeply at Kuroko but doesn't argue further. They navigate the conversation back to safe topics and idly chat for the rest of Kagami's lunch break.

_______________

It wouldn't be fair to accuse Kuroko of actively avoiding Kagami. More work just conveniently happens to come in after that disastrous conversation with him. Gathering intelligence, carrying out the assassinations, and taking care of the aftermath is tiresome, and Kuroko would be remiss to not devote his full attention to each task. After his conversation with Kagami, Kuroko feels even more compelled than before to ensure that the hits Teikou carries out _are_ justified. Though he does feel a little guilty for the curt responses he's been sending Kagami when he asks where he's been.

"I never took you for a coward, Kuroko," Midorima never was one to mince words.

"Excuse me?" Kuroko stares blankly back at Midorima, watching as he meticulously bandages the gash in his leg. 

"You are deliberately working yourself to the bone to avoid seeing or thinking of this Kagami Taiga of yours." His tone is damning. "And do not pretend that you are not overworking yourself. You typically aren't careless enough to get injured on a job, and yet I've begun to see you here just as much as that fool Aomine."

Kuroko's expression stays carefully blank, "Kagami-kun has nothing to do with this. If Akashi-kun needs me to fulfill a job then I comply." He narrows his eyes at Takao accusingly over Midorima's bent head. It is a given that Akashi would send Takao to keep an eye on Kagami and himself, since few others within the family are able to keep Kuroko within their sights for long. That doesn't mean that he is allowed to blab his mouth to anyone he pleases. Takao shrugs unapologetically at him, even granting him a cheeky grin as he hands Midorima more tape.

"Akashi is, of course, thrilled with your newfound enthusiasm," Midorima says dryly. "I couldn't care less about your personal life, and I am of the opinion that we shouldn't get involved with outsiders, but the way you're conducting yourself is a detriment to Teikou. You're endangering everyone here with your shoddy work. Make your decision and stop fooling around."

"If I remember correctly, and I am quite certain that I do, Takao-kun used to be an 'outsider,' before you became involved with him," Kuroko responds pointedly. It had actually been hilarious for almost all parties involved when Takao accidentally stumbled upon Midorima tending to the bloody aftermath of one of their missions at their resident hospital.

"We are not _involved_! Takao is only here because he is a not entirely useless assistant, who stuck his nose in where it wasn't wanted!" 

"I did not mean it in a romantic sense, Midorima-kun. After all, I am merely friends with my outsider. Or are you finally admitting to something you've been denying for three years?" Kuroko manfully waits until Midorima storms out of the room with a despairing wail before he starts laughing.

"And people think I pick on him," Takao chuckles as he starts cleaning up the supplies Midorima left behind. "Our anniversary's in two months. What do you think I should get him?" 

"A ring." 

Takao snorts, "Yeah, sure. How about this? You ask out tall, dumb, and handsome, and I give Shin-chan a ring." There is much suggestive eyebrow-wriggling involved. 

"Takao-kun, new opposition is encroaching on our territory every day. It is difficult enough to keep ourselves and the city safe without careless relationships with those outside the family. Midorima-kun is correct in that regard."

"Oh come on, you're practically invisible. No one would be able to track you and link you to Teikou. And even if they could, Kagami's big and strong. He can take care of himself." Kuroko finds himself a little horrified at Takao's lackadaisical attitude. Not even three years with the mafia can shake his carefree personality, it seems.

While Kuroko does not doubt that Kagami could take care of himself in a fist fight, a street brawl is vastly different from fighting a trained, armed assassin. Asking Kagami to unwittingly place his life in danger is something Kuroko simply cannot do, and informing Kagami of the risks that come with dating him certainly eliminates any possibility that Kagami would even want to be friends with him, let alone be in a relationship with him.

Takao pats Kuroko on the back, snapping him out of his thoughts. He holds out an ordinary paper bag and offers a wry smile, "Look, I know you're conflicted. But you gotta figure it out and get your head back on straight. You keep on like this, and we'll be down one of our best hit men. I don't wanna see you die early, Kuroko."

Taking the medicine, Kuroko thanks him quietly and rolls down his pants leg to prepare for the trek home. He bows politely in parting and limps his way out.

Takao-kun is right. Kuroko has been exceptionally careless with himself recently. While Kuroko has learned to live with his ghosts over the years, Kagami's condemnations weigh heavily on his mind and distract him from his tasks. 

But there isn't any reason to allow Kagami's opinion of him to cloud his judgment.

Kuroko knows he will never be worthy of Kagami. He has been immersed in this world too long to turn back now, and Kagami would surely never look at him the same if he knew how much blood was on his hands. 

No, the only reasonable thing Kuroko can do is forget these budding feelings for some outsider and focus on the threats nipping at the edges of Teikou territory.

_______________

Akashi continues to find more work to keep Kuroko busy, clearly taking advantage of his newfound determination. The majority of the jobs are quick and tedious, the likes of illegal business dealings and drug smuggling. It is all too easy for Kuroko to expose evidence of these shady practices and pass it on to Aomine to deal with through legal means, but these tasks keep Kuroko occupied productively. Midorima is mostly just satisfied that Kuroko seems to have made a decision and stopped getting himself injured needlessly.

In an odd role reversal, Takao is now the one who frowns disapprovingly at Kuroko. 

"Kurokoooo, I didn't mean you should _give up on him_ , what the heck," Takao wails inconsolably. "I'm telling Shin-chan that it's your fault that he's not getting proposed to!"

"Midorima-kun is the one who advised me to not mingle with outsiders, so you can tell him that it is his own fault," Kuroko says placidly. Even if he and Kagami are officially off Akashi's watch list, Takao clearly doesn't have better things to do than follow him anyway. Kuroko wishes he would stop badgering him about unnecessary things, but it is getting late and he lacks the energy to shake his friend off.

"You pick the worst times to listen to Shin-chan! He tells you to rest for a few weeks so that you don't bleed out from ripping your stitches open? Nope, you're off getting the jump on some poor sap in a blink of an eye! He tells you to give up on the love of your life and you _listen_!?"

"Kagami-kun is hardly the love of my life, Takao-kun." 

"You know what I mean! He's cute, cooks, and makes the best damned milkshakes in the world, according to you. He's a total catch, and you're not even going to confess to him," Takao points at Kuroko accusingly. "Where's the Kuroko who can't back down from a challenge? I want him back. He needs to go get his man!"

Kuroko sighs at the theatrics, "Kagami-kun is a reasonable person, unlike Takao-kun. He's voiced his displeasure at what Teikou does before, and he would surely come to despise me if he ever learned what I do for a living, not join me. Midorima-kun is lucky to have found someone insane enough to follow him."

"Hey, I'm not insane. Shin-chan's just worth it, you know? Though I guess liking Shin-chan makes me insane enough," Takao grins. 

All of Takao's good cheer suddenly vanishes, and he grabs Kuroko's arm to maneuver him up the street quickly. Recognizing the steel in Takao's gray eyes, Kuroko doesn't question the rough handling, only follows readily. They emerge at the corner in time to see two dark-suited men climb into a car, driving off nearly as soon as the doors slam shut.

"Takao-kun, what did you see?" Kuroko looks up at his friend. Takao isn't the paranoid, jumpy type.

Takao jerks Kuroko around and starts walking them back in the direction of the Teikou stronghold, expression grim. "I saw Kagami getting manhandled into the car. His head was bleeding." 

_______________

It takes all of the self-control Kuroko possesses to not fling himself at Akashi, who sits at his desk with all the composure in the world and has just informed them that he isn't surprised by this latest development. Takao tightens his hold on Kuroko just in case.

"Earlier this week, I started receiving messages from our moles in other families in the surrounding territory, informing me that their bosses had been approached by strangers with a proposition for partnership," Akashi tells them calmly. "In a stark contrast to these friendly meetings, we have yet to be approached by anyone directly. Instead, more trouble is being stirred in our territory than anyone has dared in a while. It's possible these new strangers are the reason for that."

"What does this have to do with Kagami-kun being kidnapped? Kagami-kun has nothing to do with another family or us," Kuroko demands, fists clenching and unclenching at his side. He visibly trembles with fury.

Akashi tilts his head at Kuroko, considering. The last time Kuroko was so enraged was almost a decade ago, when Aomine very nearly killed himself on a mission designed for the both of them. Kagami Taiga's status clearly needs to be re-evaluated if Kuroko is working himself into such a lather over his disappearance.

"Quite the contrary. Remember that he may know someone who joined Yosen. He could have been taken as leverage to win Yosen to their side. Another possibility is that they simply took notice of our initial interest in him and decided to take him to lure us out," Akashi reasons. 

He leaves the implication of this being Kuroko's fault in the air and casually pulls out his phone to check a message as he stands up.

"Either way, someone is clearly challenging our rule. Kidnapping one of our citizens is simply the tipping point for action. Stay on site. Momoi will have our information within the hour." He sweeps by them to leave the room, steady and dignified. As usual, he is unfazed by the imminent threats, and Kuroko wonders, not for the first time, if he would remain so unattached if one of them were to disappear.

Takao scowls at Akashi's back and gives Kuroko a reassuring nudge, "Don't listen to him, Kuroko. It can't be your fault. People don't even know you. There's no way they found you and stalked you without you knowing." 

Even if Kuroko tips his head slightly in acquiescence, he doesn't dismiss Akashi's suggestion outright. For the time being, all Kuroko can do is strategize and wait. He'll stew in his guilt after he finds Kagami.

That Momoi surfaces with information not even thirty minutes later surprises no one. 

_______________

What lays before them is an unremarkable office building, steel and glass stretching to the sky. The building itself is registered to Nash Gold Jr. and his firm, Looking Glass, which found success in America and has steadily been establishing locations throughout Japan. Apparently, they specialize in security equipment and protection detail, and Momoi observed a negative correlation between the establishment of their services in an area and that area's crime rate. Interestingly enough, these crime rates would spike back up just a bit and then level out at about the same number in each area. Momoi suspects that Looking Glass may be rigging the numbers in their favor, if the sudden decrease of mafia influence is anything to go by. 

"So what? They purposely cause trouble so people buy their stuff? That's a stupid conspiracy theory, Satsuki," Aomine frowns. He doesn't even pretend to study the blueprint she gave him.

"That's how most protection rackets work, Aomine-kun. They blackmail or extort money from their clients to guarantee them with protection, with the implied threat that they'll attack themselves if the clients refuse. Teikou just happens to operate a little differently. What Looking Glass seems to be doing is legalizing the process, since no one can provide any proof that they are behind the trouble." Kuroko, on the other hand, has already memorized the building design and stares out the car window intently.

Despite the late hour, a few illuminated windows dot the landscape, shielded slightly by the closed blinds. A few of the lights go out. They wait half an hour, but no one leaves the building and no cars leave the underground garage. The camera feed on Momoi's laptop shows the garage, the entrances, the stairwells, and the elevator. No one passes through any of them.

Their communication devices crackle to life, "Are we just going to sit here all night?" It's one of the lower-ranked members situated in a car further down the street. 

"Fool. Momoi will give you the go when she is ready," Midorima replies sternly. In the background, they hear the wind howling and Takao snickering. "And for the record, Kuroko, today is a poor day for Aquarius. I hope you have a frog with you."

"Of course I do. You're on the roof across the street, are you not?" 

Aomine snorts and even Momoi can't contain her giggles, even if she swats at Aomine to behave. She fixes her headset and clears her throat, composing herself.

"The security guards rotate in four minutes. Kuroko is heading in. He will cover the east stairwell. Lights are on floors 3, 5, and 10. Floors 6, 13, and 14 unlit, but occupied. Squad 1 and 2 will clear the garage. Squads 3 through 5 have the front doors. Aomine will lead you through the west stairwell. Midorima is your aerial support. I am your ground control. Report." 

Each of their groups check in accordingly. The raid begins.

_______________

Incapacitating the security guard is simple enough for Kuroko. Stripping him down, tying him up, and lugging his weight to a closet is a little more difficult, but he can't take any chances that he'll wake up and immediately inform the police, or worse, his boss. He prefers not having to kill a hapless civilian.

Kuroko navigates the next few floors quietly. As per usual, no one notices his presence. The lit cubicles are genuinely occupied by late night workers, some harried over their paperwork and some surrendered to sleep. 

"I'm on level 3. No hostiles yet. Advance to level 6. I will meet you there," Kuroko murmurs into his headset, as he continues on. This operation is more delicate than any other they've had to do. Looking Glass is a legitimate company and as such, they employ civilians. Differentiating between them and the rival gang members they are looking for could be difficult. Kuroko hopes no one innocent gets caught in the crossfire.

"Clear. We're heading up, Tetsu," Aomine answers shortly. 

While Aomine makes his way through the building, Kuroko screens the next floor and finds it thankfully empty. His luck runs out when he steps onto the landing for the fifth floor and finds a bulky suited man patrolling the hall. He looks like one of the men from the car earlier.

Kuroko casts a stone against a door down the hallway. The soft click that echoes along the corridor distracts the guard long enough for Kuroko to move in and knock him to the ground. Deftly stealing his firearm, Kuroko presses the man to the floor with a twist of his arm.

"10pm. 11th and South. What were you doing there?" Kuroko asks, angry and cool, as he presses the gun to the man's temple. The gun is fitted with a silencer. This man is clearly not an average body guard.

The man grunts underneath him, clenching his teeth against the pain. This position makes it hard for him to breathe, let alone speak. Still, he makes the effort to spit out, "N-Nothing. Was told to get some kid. That's it." 

Kuroko notes that his Japanese is heavily accented.

"And where is he now?" In English. As expected, the man answers more fluently, but no less hoarsely.

"Don't know. Probably upstairs still. They weren't going to do anything with him until tomorrow. " The cool barrel of the gun digs into the man's hairline, prodding insistently, "I-I swear, that's all I've got!"

"What floor?" 

"F-Fourteen!"

"Thank you." Kuroko pulls back the gun and knocks him solidly on the back of the head. He shoots him in the leg for the trouble.

Seeing as their scuffle didn't attract any more attention, Kuroko deems the level clear and examines the weapon he's stolen. "Squad 2, send two people up to level 5 to recover a goon by the east stairwell. Bullet wound in the left leg. Momoi-san, Aomine-kun, I'm going up to 14. I am told Kagami-kun is there."

"Be careful, Tetsu-kun."

"I've got your back, Tetsu! Not a single one of these idiots will catch you." 

"Dai-chan! We need some of them alive!"

"Yeah yeah."

As Kuroko sweeps up the stairwell, he hears the muffled echoes of gunshots and the following thuds of bodies hitting the ground. He tucks himself into the shadows as a stampede of responders come down the stairway. Kuroko looks up, eyeing one of the closing doors a few flights away. He trips one of the stragglers and sends them crashing down into their comrades, piling them up conveniently for Teikou to find, before hurrying up the stairs behind them and disappearing through the slowly closing door before the door closer's cushion gives out and slams it shut.

"Dai-chan, forty people coming down the west side. Forty more piled up in the east."

" _Piled_?? Tetsu, you're making this too easy for me," Aomine complains. 

Kuroko waits for Momoi to report the stairwell as clear before he slips back out and continues on. Three floors up and he can barely hear the carnage below. It seems everyone else in the building rushed down to attempt to cut off the intruders early, because Kuroko doesn't spot anyone else. One would think they would leave at least one person behind somewhere, just in case, but all the better for Kuroko if they're incompetent at strategizing. 

When he reaches the fourteenth floor, however, he finds it disturbingly quiet still. 

That can't be right.

They had seen a light on this floor go out while outside. No one descended or ascended from this floor since then. Momoi would have seen it on her camera feed and informed him. Kuroko slides through the stairway door and gently eases it closed, eyes alert as he scans the corridor. Unlike the lower levels, this one is separated by actual doors, instead of cubicle walls. 

Kuroko creeps along the shadows, taking a perfunctory peek through each door's window, as he works his way towards the room that had been lit. Reaching the door, he pauses and takes a steadying breath. His heart nearly stops from what he sees through the window.

Shackled to a chair within is Kagami. His head lolls heavily against his chest, and he doesn't appear to be moving. 

Swallowing hard, Kuroko presses on his communicator and reports, "14th floor, room 1011."

"Ready," Midorima responds without hesitation.

Kuroko's heart pounds heavily against his ribcage as he picks the lock on the door. Grasping the handle firmly, Kuroko slides it open in one smooth motion. Aside from the click of the door stopping in its track, there is absolute silence. Kagami doesn't so much as twitch. A quick scan of the room reveals no one else, truly. He enters the room quietly and slides the door closed behind him, turning the lock once again.

Kuroko presses his back against the wall, closes his eyes, and flicks the light switch on. He resolutely does not look at Kagami's still form as he crosses the room to raise the blinds and open the windows. With a signal to Midorima and Takao, Kuroko turns around and steadies himself to finally face Kagami. 

Trembling sightly, Kuroko stands in front of Kagami. The right side of his face is swollen, and his hair is heavily matted with dried blood. He still hasn't moved. Carefully, carefully, Kuroko places a hand on Kagami's chest and two fingers on his neck. He never dared to hope that he would ever be able to touch Kagami so intimately. Doing so in these circumstances...

Kuroko nearly collapses in relief when he finds a steady, if slow, pulse under his fingertips and the deep, slow breaths of the unconscious under his hand. Leaning forward, Kuroko cards a hand gently through Kagami's hair, checking for the source of the blood. Ah, his hair is short and soft and dry. In a different situation, Kuroko can easily imagine running his hands through it for hours.

He pats at Kagami's cheeks gently, mindful of his bruises, "Kagami-kun. Kagami-kun! Wake up please. I won't be able to carry you." Kuroko kneels in front of him and sets about picking at the locks and chains restraining Kagami's limbs.

By the time the chains clatter to the floor, Kagami begins to stir with a painful groan. He blinks open one swollen eye gingerly and focuses narrowly at the blue head hovering in front of him.

"Jesus, I hurt too much to be dreaming, but there's no way Kuroko's here. I must be hallucinating," Kagami mumbles. Near delirious, he lets his head drop again, perfectly content to fall back into a coma.

Kuroko jabs him in the side sharply. "Do not go back to sleep, Kagami-kun. You're too heavy to carry, and our time is limited."

"Ow-mmph!" Kuroko presses a hand to Kagami's mouth, stifling his expletives. "Quiet please. I do not want to risk attracting attention."

"Is that really how you treat someone bleeding out of their head? You suck," Kagami makes faces at him, working his jaw carefully to test his bruising. "What are you even doing here? How'd you find me? How'd you even know I was gone?" 

"Later, Kagami-kun." Kuroko finishes unraveling the chains securing Kagami to the chair and leans back on his heels with a soft sigh.

Hearing the soft click of the lock, Kuroko reaches for the gun he had set on the floor, just as the door slams open behind him. His fingers hover over the gun, hesitant to make any sudden movements. He lifts his head up to find a large, dark man leering at him from the doorway. Kuroko recognizes him as Jason Silver, the uncouth and arrogant head of Gold's security, according to Momoi's files. Strangely enough, he isn't pointing a gun at them.

"Huh. You got this far, brat? I guess it's hard to notice a scrawny grade-schooler. Alex must be recruiting them younger and younger, huh?" He snorts. Irritation sparks quickly when Kuroko's expression doesn't change, gaze steady and cold. 

"What? Can't understand English? Guess the Japanese are too stupid for that. Gold calls the Japanese stupid monkeys, and I gotta say, he's pretty right," Silver goads, smirk widening.

"So you are looking for Miss Garcia. I see. Unfortunately, I am not associated with her," Kuroko answers serenely. Both of the other occupants of the room stare at him with disbelief at the English that rolls off his tongue.

Silver glares, "If you're not hers, the hell are you here for?" 

"I am here for my friend. Please let us go. I believe you have a larger problem downstairs."

Silver snorts, smirk curling into a vicious snarl, "Teikou, right? As if your guys will get up this far. You brats sure are a pain in the ass, I'll give you that though, but you're nothing but noisy little pests, waiting to be crushed."

Behind him, Kuroko can feel the mounting horror of Kagami's gaze. It itches at the back of his head, but he dares not turn his attention away from Silver. Even more, he doesn't want to see the expression Kagami is wearing. Kuroko knows with an absolute certainty that he cannot handle seeing the disgust and loathing bloom in Kagami's eyes.

"Yes, Teikou. You are trespassing on our territory. We won't just quietly let you do that."

"You can't stop us. Look at you puny Japanese children. Gold already has America. Japan will be much easier than that," Silver snorts as he moves towards Kagami and Kuroko. He steps on Kuroko's hand as soon as his fingers twitch to grab at his gun, deceptively fast despite his size. Kuroko clenches his teeth as Silver grinds his heel down mockingly. "Oh, sorry, does that hurt?" His eyes are cruel as he kicks away the discarded weapon. 

"Get off him!" Kagami launches out of his chair, fist pulled back. Silver grabs him around the throat and slams him against the wall. Fresh blood spills from the wound on Kagami's head, reopened from the impact.

"And you, keeping playing the tough guy, and we'll ship you to Alex in pieces," Silver snarls, dropping Kagami to the floor in a heap and kicking him savagely.

Two sudden shots crack through the room, and Silver's body crumples to the floor. Gingerly, Kagami pushes himself up, shoving Silver off and away from him as he tries to get air back in his lungs. His eyes widen at the motionless body before him before his gaze moves slowly, incredulously, to the gun in Kuroko's hands.

Kuroko meets his gaze evenly, regretful, but unapologetic.

Kagami swallows hard, "W-Why?" Disbelief and not a little fear color his features.

"I told you, Kagami-kun. Teikou protects its own," Kuroko smiles sadly. 

He rises steadily to his feet and turns to face the door, hearing the frantic stampede that can only be Aomine.

" What the hell, Midorima! That wasn't nearly enough warning! What if you had shot him!? Tetsu, are you okay!?" Aomine's hysterical shouting echoes off the walls and through the headset, as he bursts into the room. Kuroko is thankful that his ears aren't bleeding from the assault.

"Aomine-kun, I am right here. There's isn't any need to shout through our communicators. Midorima-kun, thank you for your timely assistance. It was a good shot."

Kuroko turns back to Kagami, his expression schooled back to an unreadable blank, but his eyes. His eyes are hauntingly vacant.

"I _am_ sorry, Kagami-kun. Thank you for everything." 

_______________

Two months drag by in the time it takes for Kuroko's hand to heal properly. Midorima keeps Kuroko on a strict regimen of special exercises to recover his strength and flexibility. His and Takao's anniversary passes by without Takao making any more needling suggestions at Kuroko.

Kuroko hasn't seen or heard from Kagami at all. Not that he expected to. But still. It hurts.

At first, Takao brought milkshakes to console him, but quickly realized how somber Kuroko would become. He resorts instead to dumb jokes and books to break up the monotony of the paperwork Kuroko is tasked with during his convalescence. Midorima pretends to be irritated at Kuroko's melancholy demeanor, but dutifully places Aquarius's lucky item on his desk every day. Even Murasakibara sends him a care package of candy and treats to "Get well soon, Kuro-chin."

Busy as ever, Kise laments that he missed out on all the excitement and doesn't have time to come home to comfort Kuroko. He sends Kuroko texts nearly every hour, littered with useless daily snippets, idle chatter, assurances that it'll be okay, and that, "If anything, you'll still have me, Kurokocchi!" all accompanied by illegal amounts of sparkly emoticons. While he appreciates the effort, Kuroko stops looking at Kise's texts. He doesn't necessarily feel sadder because of them, but it does make him feel lonelier.

Momoi offers quiet support and keeps his mind busy on other matters, sitting with him as they wade through all the information they can find on Nash Gold. The clean-up of the Looking Glass raid had taken the rest of the night, but they had captured enough members alive to garner a fair amount of leads and left the building so spotless that the civilian workers there hadn't a clue what had occurred. Together, they figure out that Gold doesn't have as firm a foothold in America as he would like everyone to believe. Knowing that Alexandra Garcia is now terrorizing some other poor soul almost makes Akashi laugh.

Of course, Aomine has to be the most obnoxious in his concern, showing up nearly every day with stacks of porn magazines he "specially picked out, just for you, Tetsu! Come on, look at these guns. Waaaay better than that Bakagami, yeah?" He is the only one who gets a reaction out of Kuroko, marked by annoyed rebukes and bruised sides. It's the most life Kuroko shows, and Aomine counts that as a win in itself.

Really, what Kuroko wants is for people to stop tip-toeing around him as if he were fragile, reminding him of the love he unexpectedly found and lost. He accepted long ago that he couldn't have Kagami. He had just stupidly hoped he wouldn't lose Kagami's esteem. But what's done is done, and Kuroko is determined to move on. Being a part of a mafia isn't conducive to romantic relationships anyway.

He does wonder how Kagami is doing though. Midorima did inform him that Kagami's injuries hadn't been too serious, but Kuroko wonders if his wounds healed well. He hopes that the experience hasn't scarred him for life. Most of all, Kuroko hopes that he is happy. 

_______________

Missing Kagami doesn't get any easier as the year wears on. Vanilla milkshakes no longer satisfy him the way they did before. Kagami's perfect blend has practically ruined all others for him. Trading barbs with his friends reminds Kuroko how much he misses the playful banter and easy conversations he shared with Kagami. He purposely avoids headshots on his jobs now, not needing to remember how the blood had looked matted into Kagami's hair. In general, work is harder now. Each body count reminds Kuroko how wrong it had been for Kagami, usually so vivacious, to be so still. Thankfully, hits are few and far between again, now that Gold has been driven from their territory and the previous status quo has been re-established. 

But Kuroko manages. He manages.

Which is, of course, why he runs into Kagami again nearly a year from when they first met. Kuroko spots him across the street, talking animatedly with a lovely blonde woman. She laughs at Kagami's energy and walks beside him, comfortably matching his long stride. Kuroko ducks his head down in shame and shuffles along faster, as he realizes that he never even wondered if he stood a chance with Kagami. The possibility of Kagami being straight had never crossed his mind. He supposes the flush of love spiraled too fast into heartache for him to even worry about such inconveniences.

"Kuroko!" Kuroko's head snaps up in horror. He slowly stops and turns around to see Kagami waving at him, as he runs across the street to catch him. Kagami turns around briefly to apologize to the woman he was with, "Sorry! It's important! I'll meet you at home!" Kuroko shamelessly debates using his skills to run away. 

The opportunity passes. Kagami doesn't take long at all to reach Kuroko's side.

"Kuroko," Kagami stops, seemingly unsure how to proceed now that he's made it this far. He smiles uncertainly, ruffling a hand through his hair. The motion makes him look more boyish and handsome than Kuroko remembers. It isn't fair that Kagami can still affect him this way.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko acknowledges. 

Silence stretches uncomfortably and unfamiliarly between them. Kuroko waits patiently, drinking in the sight of Kagami, broad and striking as usual. His hair is shorter, emphasizing the strong line of his jaw and framing his fierce eyes. He's so healthy and whole and alive, Kuroko's heart aches.

"You look good," The words slip unbidden from Kuroko's mouth. He wishes he could grab them from the air and swallow them back down, especially when Kagami flushes pink in response.

"Th-Thanks," Kagami clears his throat. "Look, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. You saved me back then and I never even thanked you. So thank you. And sorry." 

Kuroko melts slightly, charmed once again by his awkward fumbling, "No need, Kagami-kun. I was just happy to see you safe."

"You didn't look happy!" Kagami blurts out all at once and immediately clamps his hands over his own mouth, eyes wide with horror.

Something in Kuroko freezes and breaks. His mouth works slowly around the words on his tongue, worried that he may choke on his heart instead. "I don't understand, Kagami-kun. Do I really seem so heartless?" He swallows hard, attempts to school his face into something neutral. "I don't expect you to accept what I've done, but I do what I must." 

"No. No! I get that now, I do! I'm sorry about what I said that one time about you and Teikou. I didn't know!" Kagami grabs Kuroko's shoulders, eyes anxious but intent, " That wasn't what I meant! I meant afterwards, before you left. You looked so," Kagami pauses, wets his lips, "empty." 

"I didn't know what to do. What I could do. How to talk to you. I was an idiot, and I kept putting it off, and I'm so sorry, Kuroko. You deserve a way better friend than me." 

"Are we? Friends? I thought you wouldn't want to be anymore after finding out what I do. Kagami-kun gave the impression that he hated Teikou."

"I just didn't understand at the time. I don't hate you. I didn't hate you. I don't think I could ever hate you. We've been friends from the start," Kagami declares fiercely. He suddenly looks embarrassed and releases his grip on Kuroko. "Or do you not want to be? Friends, that is... 'Cause I'd understand if you don't." 

Kuroko pauses. Even if this was the best Kuroko could ever hope for, his chest still aches. His fingers want to card through Kagami's hair again, touch the delicate curve of his lips, and feel the steady strength of his heartbeat. These were not the desires of _friends_.

But Kagami shifts nervously in front of him, clearly taking the silence badly.

"No, of course I still want to be friends with you, Kagami-kun," Kuroko pauses, takes a deep breath and plunges on fearlessly. "But I think it is only fair to inform you first that I want more from you than friendship. Of course, I will respect your current relationship with that girl, but I like you, Kagami-kun, and I would like the opportunity to date you. I understand if you would not feel comfortable maintaining any association with me, knowing this."

Kuroko looks up at him, the jut of his chin stubborn and determined, ready to meet judgment. His eyes are clear and cool as always, thrumming with a shocking intensity. Kagami can only stare at him, slack-jawed.

The uncomfortable moment stretches, Kagami still bewildered and Kuroko wholly earnest. It snaps with a bark of laughter from Kagami, and Kuroko's whole demeanor shuts down, hurt and injured and clamoring to rebuild an apathetic shell.

"No, no, wait. Don't go anywhere. I'm sorry. I laughed because that was Alex you saw me with, " Kagami reaches out, cupping Kuroko's jaw with shy tenderness. "I'm not seeing anyone right now. I don't want to see anyone but the one right in front of me."

The fierceness and sincerity of his gaze pins Kuroko in place. Kuroko wonders if he's dreaming, simultaneously grounded and soaring at the sweep of Kagami's thumb across his cheekbone.

"So even Kagami-kun knows how to be a smooth talker," Kuroko teases, unsmiling and serious, even as he tilts his head into the curl of Kagami's palm.

"Wh-What!? Oi, I'm trying to be romantic or some shit here. Don't make fun of me," Kagami fumes, blushing to the roots of his hair.

"Consider it revenge," Kuroko looks up at him with a small, sly smile. He reaches up and touches Kagami's warm cheek with slight wonder. Emboldened, he slides his hand further back into Kagami's hair, playing with the short strands.

Kagami groans, "Can't you think of a different way for me to make it up to you? I'm going to break up with you for being a sadistic little shit." With the way he nearly melts under Kuroko's petting, Kagami's threat comes across quite unsuccessfully.

"Hm. Would you make me a vanilla shake? I've missed them a lot." 

Rolling his eyes, Kagami ruffles Kuroko's hair playfully and takes his hand, leading them in the direction of the café. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, you addict. You probably just want me for my milkshakes." 

"That's not true at all, Kagami-kun. I like all of you. Please take me seriously," Kuroko admonishes. 

As they walk down the street, hand in hand, Kuroko becomes oddly aware of the calluses and scars covering his own hands, the result of years of handling weapons. His hand feels coarse and uneven from guns and injury against Kagami's hands, rough but worn smooth from baking and basketball. Is he really allowed to hold Kagami's hand when his own are so blood-stained? He squeezes Kagami's hand, warm and steady in his palm, and wonders.

"Don't worry. I got you," Kagami grins down at him, squeezing back.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for angelahearts for the KagaKuro AU Exchange
> 
> The requested AUs were Mafia, Café, or Superhero. I took the first two and mashed them together horribly. I'm sorry I'm so late in delivering your gift, but the story really ran away from me. I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> The quote in the summary is by Laurell K. Hamilton. Admittedly, I've never read any of her stories, but I read this quote, and the imagery stuck with me. It just seemed perfect for a café AU.
> 
> \- Anon2653 (Mickle)


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